Christmas Miracle
by Bassoonator
Summary: After seven years of long waiting, Chihiro commits to this being her final Christmas she wishes for Haku to find her. Fortunately for her, she gets a surprise visit from an old friend. One shot, fluff.


Chihiro had wished for the same thing every birthday, Easter, Christmas and 11:11 she could remember: to see the boy she'd met so long ago with the sea green hair and emerald green eyes. This Christmas was no different.

Chihiro found herself sitting on the couch opposite her brightly lit tree on Christmas eve, sipping a cup of hot chocolate. She watched the lights flicker through out the tree, her mind quiet. The seventeen year old snuggled into the couch, her early Christmas present, a small grey kitten, on her lap, purring loudly.

The large tree shone brilliantly under the dim lighting of the room. Each golden light on the tree flickered for it's moment in the spot light, every piece of tinsel glowing under the heavenly light from the decorations. _I wish you could see this, _Chihiro thought to herself. The small fireplace next to the tree gave off a honey warm feeling within her. She leaned her head into the couch, the feeling making her heart flutter as her thoughts trailed away from the fire and instead, to the boy who occupied her mind daily.

Chihiro was extremely pleased with life at the present moment - she'd just completely her final year of high school with flying colours and had been accepted into several colleges that would more than satisfy her needs. She'd excelled in her grade eight flute exam, allowing her to study music if she so wanted to and best of all, her family was together, happy and healthy. The ginger aroma coming from the kitchen as well as her mother's humming gave the home a very Christmasy feeling, not to forget Akio, Chihiro's father, wrapping up the last of the gifts.

The kitten, a grey fur ball of love, let out a soft meow, stretching its small body and rubbing itself against Chihiro's arm. Chihiro giggled, lifting the kitten to her chest where the kitten made itself at home, purring like crazy. It truly was a wonderful Christmas which would only grow more wonderful in the morning, surrounded by family and friends. Too soon, the clock struck midnight and the Ogino household wished each other a merry Christmas before retreating to their bedrooms. The kitten, nicknamed Dragon, bounded into Chihiro's bedroom, making himself more than welcome in the bedroom. Too small to jump onto the bed, Chihiro laughed as the kitten bounded up on it's hind legs, looking for an alternative entry onto the world of pillows.

Opening the window, Chihiro sat on the window sill and began braiding her long brown hair, Dragon scurrying at her feet to be lifted up. The stars glistened brightly outside in the open darkness, twinkling and practically inviting wishes to be made. Chihiro smiled, closing her eyes and leaned against the wall. She'd only had one wish since she'd returned home after her adventure in the Spirit World: to see Haku. Whether it was a long lasting infatuation or real love, Chihiro longed for his presence in her life although knowing that the likelihood of him every keeping his promise... was small, to say the least. Chihiro lifted the fluff ball into her arms and nestled herself into her bed and near instantly, the two fell asleep. Even in her dreams, her white dragon paced outside her window, just waiting for the time to stop in.

The next morning, Chihiro was awoken to the sound of the bell on Dragon's collar as he hopped on Chihiro's face.

"Dragon!" Chihiro giggled, pulling the kitten off of her and onto the floor. Chihiro rubbed her arms as the chilly wind of the early morning flew. A strong gust of wind and a smack of the window made Chihiro jump from her bed to the open window. Fear filled her as she stared at the window pane where scales lined the bottom part of the window. Scaly creatures did not appeal to Chihiro in the slightest. Closing the window, Chihiro changed into a white and red dress to suit the Christmas theme and rebraided her plait before making her way downstairs to the smell of egg nog and bacon. Akio and Yuko laughed and chatted idly as Chihiro entered the kitchen, greeting their daughter warmly.

"Chihiro! Merry Christmas, my beautiful daughter!" Akio grinned, pulling his daughter into a warm embrace. Chihiro returned the smile.

"Merry Christmas!" Chihiro pecked her mother on the cheek and settled at the bench beside her father as her breakfast was laid out in front of her.

"Your father and I are going to run to the store to get some last minute supplies for the party this afternoon," Yuko said as she placed a smorgasbord of food in front of Chihiro. "Will you be okay?"

Dragon, in response, pawed at Yuko's feet, demanding attention. Yuko laughed, lifting the kitten to her chest and pecking his small head. "I'll be fine," Chihiro laughed, listening to the steady purr of Dragon the motor vehicle. An hour later, Chihiro found herself alone in the house, sitting on the same couch she did last night. She stared down at the end of her braid at the hair tie that finished it - the luminescent purple band the only reminder that her trip to the Spirit World really happened. Happy memories of Haku, Boh, Lin and Kamaji filled her mind, making her a little teary.

"Why hasn't he come to see me, Dragon?" she whispered to the small kitten who purred in response, flopping his body over to reveal his pink belly. Scratching the kitten's ears, Chihiro sighed. "Perhaps my memories fail me. Maybe my trip was there was simply... ordinary. Forgettable even."

Chihiro looked around the room at the various memories that hovered all around her. Pictures of the family trip to Disney land, Chihiro's graduation certificate, Yuko's award for 'Best Mother in the World' and right next to it, Akio's favourite mug, 'Best Dad Ever.' Childish memories that made Chihiro beam and yet, it felt so strange to not see photos of her most vivid memory of her childhood - the Spirit World. Where were the photos of Kamaji and the soot balls? A post card from Lin saying how much she missed having the little brat around? Where was Haku in her life? She felt silly, having this selfish thoughts on such a joyous day but this felt like the final Christmas before her life changed and she moved away from her family and life here, in her childhood. Her last Christmas wishing to hug Haku once more and the last Christmas she refused the date of a kind boy who made her happy because her heart was wrapped up in a boy she hadn't seen in seven years.

There was a nice feeling to knowing this was her last year fawning over the idea of a boy. It gave her direction, a reason to move on. This was why, when the door was knocked on gently, Chihiro did not expect her dragon to waiting on the other side. Opening the door, she expected to find her parents, full handed with shopping and yet she saw a man, dressed in a white tunic and green pants. His long, sea green hair was let loose around his face, framing the beautiful curvatures of his foreign face. They stared at each other for a long time, looking at each other from head to toe. He had filled out generously - he'd grown to tower over her, at least six foot, and it was easy to see his well muscled he'd become in the seven years they'd been apart. His face had become less round and more the face you'd expect a man to have, with strong jaw bones and eyes that were both welcoming and intimidating.

"Chihiro?" his soft, deep voice whispered. Chihiro opened her mouth to speak but was frozen in shock. Thankfully, Dragon the grey fluff ball bounded into action in making his entry around Chihiro's legs and looked up at the stranger. Apparently deciding this man would be a friend, the kitten wrapped its tiny body against his legs, marking his territory. The boy - no, the man - looked down at the kitten and a soft smile brightened his features.

"Hi, buddy. What's your name?" he asked, lifting the kitten into his arms and looking at the green name tag. "Dragon?"

Haku. Kohaku stood on her door step and she had not said a word since he'd been there. He looked at her, holding her tiny kitten in his palm and waited for a response. Chihiro stared into his emerald eyes, unable to look away yet unable to speak. She reached out with one hand to touch Haku's face, to check he was real but stopped mid-air, pulling away a little, unsure. Haku took her hand in his own and pulled it to his face, closing his eyes as he rested in her palm.

"H-Haku?" she whimpered, feeling a large lump fill in her throat. Haku's eyes flashed open, a smile rising on his features.

"I missed you so much, Chihiro." Dragon took it upon himself to jump onto Chihiro and hope for the best in terms of not falling. Chihiro placed the kitten on the ground, never breaking eye contact with Haku.

"Yo-you came?" she soft of rejoiced, sort of questioned. He squeezed the hand that was still in his.

"I came."

No long able to control herself, Chihiro ran into his arms and held onto him for dear life. Haku's arms wrapped around her, pulling her as close to him as humanly possible. Chihiro exhaled, a smile settling upon her face as she whispered just two words.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Hello! Here's just a little Christmas one shot I'd been thinking of for a little while. I think I overused Dragon just a _tiny _bit, hehe! He's just so cute. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my little "Christmas Miracle" fan fic; either way, whether negative or positive, please leave a review!

Lastly, I wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and all the best for the new year. Much love. xx**  
><strong>


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